[Year 12 SofDev] Programming Instructions

Wed May 16 09:14:52 EST 2012

I too am confused by their answer, the way I look at it is an instruction is a single line command and a function can consist of multiple lines of code to perform a specific task
I think the examiner might have had their head in IT Apps world when writing this answer and went with the MS Excel version of the term function, but even then they're pre-written lines of code being called.

>From the repository of all that is good and occasionally correct (webopedia)

Instruction:  A basic command<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/command.html>. The term instruction is often used to describe the most rudimentary programming<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/program.html> commands. For example, a computer's<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/computer.html> instruction set<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/instruction_set.html> is the list of all the basic commands in the computer's machine language<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/machine_language.html>
Function: (1) In programming<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/program.html>, a named section of a program that performs a specific task. In this sense, a function is a type of procedure<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/procedure.html> or routine<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/routine.html>. Some programming languages<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/programming_language.html> make a distinction between a function, which returns a value, and a procedure, which performs some operation but does not return a value. Most programming languages come with a prewritten set of functions<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/function.html> that are kept in a library<http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/library.html>. You can also write your own functions to perform specialized tasks.

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From: Adrian Janson [mailto:janson.adrian.a at edumail.vic.gov.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 16 May 2012 8:39 AM
To: 'Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Programming Instructions

Just catching up on this thread!

I must confess that I am a bit flawed by this answer - if the 'answer' is A - then certainly I would have I answered it incorrectly - and probably missed out on my '50'....  I am not sure how a 'function' is the answer - perhaps it is a typo?

Cheers,
Adrian Janson

From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]<mailto:[mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]> On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Wednesday, 16 May 2012 8:05 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Programming Instructions

I wonder if the examiners were thinking of inherent functions such as MID, SQRT, COS etc, because I haven't seen single-line functions since the days of Quickbasic.
On 15 May 2012 22:34, Kevork Krozian <kevork at edulists.com.au<mailto:kevork at edulists.com.au>> wrote:
Hi Mark,

I do have to agree with you.
While a function can modify a variable's content it does not have to do so ( BTW , what is "content" ? is it the value it holds ? the data type it holds ? the name of the variable ? ).
You can write a function that does not modify a variable's "content".
By contrast I also accept that you can write an instruction that does not modify a variable by which I am thinking of print a string.

I can't see how instruction can be wrong here and how it isn't the most appropriate answer.

Kevork Krozian
Edulists Creator Administrator
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From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au>] On Behalf Of Michael Wooldridge
Sent: Tuesday, 15 May 2012 3:05 PM
To: 'Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Programming Instructions

Re question 9. I see your point and, technically, I think you are quite correct.

Perhaps however the answer lies in the word 'modifies'. Is A=0, setting the initial value of the variable, while the function modifies it? I don't know! It's a debate that could rage on for a while.

If it does, I'm siding with you, that an instruction is the most appropriate answer.

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From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au<mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au> [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]<mailto:[mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]> On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Tuesday, 15 May 2012 2:06 PM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Programming Instructions

I've put the SD examiners' comments on the 2011 exam into my post mortem
(http://www.vceit.com/postmortems/2011sd/SD2011exam.htm)

In the process I noticed section A, Q9...

In a program, a line of code that modifies a variable's content is best described as a

A. function.
B. procedure.
C. instruction.
D. control structure.

The official answer was A.

I don't know about this one... I acknowledge the word "best" but still wonder why couldn't the answer equally be an instruction?
A common instruction like A=0 modifies a variable's content just as often as a function would... more often, probably.

The study design (U3O2 KK09) says kids need to know "processing features of programming languages, including instructions, procedures, methods, functions and control structures" but instructions are not defined by the glossary, the old Fitzpatrick/Keane text, or Adrian's text (it's not in the index at least).

What do you regard as an instruction?  Trying to get a definition from the internet is frustratingly elusive...

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